September 28, 2007:
The movers came bright and early and my job was to check off the 220-something boxes that came through the door. I wasn't sure how well I'd do with the boys gone to school and Kevin off at work, but it seemed to go rather smoothly. They were fantastic movers and made the craziness of the day seem rather fun.
While they were on their first break, I got a little bored and decided I'd open a box or two. I could not believe what I unwrapped and pulled from the very first box - it was a beautiful, ceramic plate my sister-in-law, Charlotte, had made for me almost 20 years ago; where she had dipped my son's tiny baby hands and feet into paint and then pressed them to the plate. It's his 20th birthday today...
Once I dried up the tears, I began to unload more memories from the box. I pulled out a hand-made, egg-shaped decoration that my wonderful friend, Kathleen, gave to me long before we were such close friends. We had just finished a seminar that forever changed our lives and we've become life-long friends. I pulled out gifts given to us by friends in Maine and Germany and Oklahoma that reminded me of some great times we had together. I pulled out gifts from my parents that they brought back from trips to Africa and India. It made me think about how grateful I am that I have parents who aren't afraid to share their faith.
I pulled out pictures that my daughter took and then framed for me, and it made me think about how talented she is and how much the boys say they know she would love to be taking pictures everywhere we go. I pulled out my ceramic horse-head that my parents got for me because it looked like my horse, and it made me think about my childhood and all the fun I had riding my horse and going to horse shows.
I pulled out things I kept when my children were babies and it made me realize how quickly they grow up. They were all beautiful babies, but I guess what I love most about watching them grow up is seeing how beautiful their hearts are. I'm so proud of the wonderful people they've become! I could go on and on...so many boxes, and so many memories; so many great times, and so many more to be had...
4 comments:
Hi Laura! I just ran across your blog "by accident" and really liked your posts and then realized we have common "blog buddies" -Amy and Rachel! :) Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and I enjoyed reading about your family and you and your husband's ministry to our troops. Have a great day!
Laura,
Just wanted to send you a note to say thanks for opening up your heart and your life to us readers. My husband and I are considering and praying about chaplaincy for our near future and it is great to hear from someone that has been there, done that. You make it seem so "do-able" - and with such a Christ-like attitude. My husband has 3 years ministry experience and will graduate next May with a Master's in Theol. Where we are in the process is: He has sent letters out to accredited universities seeking their acknowledgement for his degree which will come from a non-accredited seminary (required for chaplaincy program entry for those wanting to be a chaplain but who attended a non-accredited school). We await those letters of recommendation now. I have been longing for information about what to expect so I did a search for "military chaplain's wife" and your site was the first to came up! I enjoyed watching your families transition and I appreciate the questions you have answered. We are excited about what God holds for our future, as we seek to glorify him with our lives. Thanks for being open and real...Jennifer R.
Sara and Jennifer,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog! I'd love to have your email addresses so I can keep in contact with you. If you send them in a comment I won't post them. Hope to hear from you soon!
Laura
:)Hey! Sara has been here. How fun is that?
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